Thursday, August 27, 2015

Robert Young is second from the left in the above photo. In movies since 1931, he is the old pro with the casting credit of second lead. (Note how Bob is in a full slouch, trying to keep the top of his head in the frame.)

And the young man on the far left is Robert Taylor. He has only 9th billing, but just two movies later he is co-starring with Irene Dunne in Magnificent Obsession . As in Mr. Taylor had one meteoric rise to stardom.

Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor inMagnificent Obsession (1935)

Just love this photo. 1. The immaculately dressed and coiffed Ms. Dunne has just been hit by a speeding car. Only in Hollywood in the 30s. 2. That is one gorgeous automobile. Almost as gorgeous as Robert.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Trade cards are quite small, most seem to be 2-1/4" x 1-3/4", small enough to be included in a pack of cigarettes or perhaps a small chocolate bar. Would I buy chocolate to obtain a picture of Bob? Oh, yes. Would I continue buying the chocolate so I could collect more pictures of Bob? Yes, of course. That's what I would call the perfect sales pitch.

Some were extremely well made. I like that you can collect nifty Bob photos without having to pay a minor fortune for them.

I found this one just recently. It is a promotional shot of Bob for the movie Shipmates (1931). Had not seen the photo before and can only imagine how much the original would cost. I bought it from a vendor in Holland for just under $5, postage included. A whole lot of cuteness for such a small amount!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

One of Bob's passions was dog breeding, an endeavor he practiced throughout his adult life. As with most (if not all) of his activities, he excelled at it, even serving as a judge in dog shows. He changed breeds over the years. The above picture (c. 1938) shows Bob with two of his favorite Dalmatians. The Springer Spaniel was another favorite breed. And in an interview given in May, 1980, 76-year-old Bob talked about living on a farm that produced "... hay, Labrador Retrievers and maple syrup."

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

This post is late...I'm blaming it on the awful fact that it was 109 here in Beautiful Bakersfield CA yesterday! I spent most of the afternoon on my raft in the pool. We have umbrellas all around the pool to avoid being toasted in our hot, hot sun. The shade may have saved my skin, but I think maybe the heat melted a few memory cells.

Bob looks cool at his Beverly Hills pool in July, 1938. I'll bet it's no hotter than 80 when this photo was taken. I'll also bet that the only thing me and my pool experience has in common with Bob and his, is the water.

Thursday, August 06, 2015

The result of snuggling couples on a cold December night --- a lot of August birthdays! John Huston was born on August 5th, as was Robert Taylor. (Two more different people I can hardly imagine!) Bob is 35 at the time of the photo below. He has passed from his incredibly beautiful stage to merely extremely handsome.

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

John Huston was born August 5, 1906 in Nevada, Mo. Son of Walter Huston, father of Angelica Huston and a highly successful writer, director and character actor, the man was simply impressive. He wrote and directed so many classics, Maltese Falcon (1941), Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1938), Key Largo (1938), and The Man Who Would be King (1975) to name a few. As an actor, he gave superb performances in Chinatown (1974) and The Wind and the Lion (1975).

My personal favorite John Huston role is as the narrator in Cannery Row (1982). What a wonderful voice he had. He makes the movie for me. The critics of the time did not much care for Cannery, they criticized the sets, made much of budget overruns and personnel problems on the set. (Hey, you hire Debra Winger and Nick Nolte and you're surprised there are fireworks?!)

It is a delightful movie with a good story, great characters and a beautifully written narration given full life by Mr. Huston. There is no way you can watch this movie and not fall in love with Mack (M. Emmet Walsh) and the boys, including Hazel, performed wonderfully by Frank McRae. Or cheer on Doc (Nick Nolte) and Suzy (Debra Winger) as they dance to Bob Cosby and the Bobcats' recording of Big Noise from Winnetka.
Frank McRae and M. Emmet Walsh in Cannery Row

And, it is John Huston that performs one of the greatest opening lines: "Cannery Row has never been like anywhere else. For one thing, its people are different. When the town died off, most of them failed to notice."